Return to glory for BSC’s Sullivan

Opening day of the Bridgewater State College women’s soccer season couldn’t have arrived soon enough for Julie Sullivan.

After taking a break from the sport in 2007, the Whitman resident had the Bears’ Sept. 6 opener at Bowdoin College circled on her calendar.

“It was really awesome,’’ said Sullivan, thinking back to that game. “It felt good to play again. I never felt so happy.

“It was really like that the whole year. I was just so happy to go out there and play every game, every practice — even practices. I missed it a lot when I wasn’t playing.’’

The senior midfielder took full advantage of her return to the Bears, picking up where she left off in the 2006 season when BSC reached the ECAC Div. 3 tournament.

Sullivan was named to the All-Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference first team in ’06, and she finished her career by earning that same honor this fall after helping the Bears go 11-4-3.

The 2004 Whitman-Hanson Regional High School graduate had a career-best six goals to go with four assists as BSC reached the final round of the MASCAC tourney.

It was a satisfying finish to a career that wasn’t always a smooth ride for Sullivan, who played at Merrimack College as a freshman in ’04 before transferring to BSC.

Sullivan scored two goals and four assists for the Div. 2 Warriors, but fractured her ribs, bringing that season to an early conclusion.

After that one year in North Andover, Sullivan decided to leave Merrimack and enrolled at BSC just before the start of the 2005-06 academic year. She played 13 games for the Bears as a sophomore, netting three goals with an assist.

“I really didn’t like it at Merrimack,’’ said Sullivan. “I made a last-minute decision to transfer to Bridgewater and I talked to the coach and got on the team.’’

Sullivan, who was more of a playmaker than a goal scorer, had five goals with an assist in ’06 to earn MASCAC honors as a junior.

Following the one-year break, Sullivan came back and was BSC’s third-leading scorer and contributing game-winning goals three times this season. In 49 career games, Sullivan had 14 goals (five game-winners) and six assists.

Bears coach Andrea O’Connor liked the example Sullivan set on the field throughout her career.

“She was very tenacious, very intense,’’ said O’Connor. “All 90 minutes, she was out there playing and she never had a letdown. You see players getting tired and exhausted at some point, but she was never like that.

“I would say that she was probably one of the hardest-working players I have ever had. Whether it was the preseason, practices, games, she was just as intense all the time. She pushed herself, and she pushed her teammates.

“She came in here as a sophomore with that intensity and her style never changed all three years.’’

With MASCAC player of the year Kaitlin Lamothe putting up record-setting numbers (22 goals, eight assists in 17 games), Sullivan’s role was to create opportunities and take advantage of any goal-scoring chances.

“She fights for the ball,’’ said O’Connor. “She’s not a huge goal scorer, but she was always a very dangerous player. She creates a lot of stuff and makes it difficult for opponents.

“Having her come back this year was good. I was very excited. I knew what she could add to the team, and she did.’’

Said Sullivan, “I’m more of a play-making player. I liked to control the field, make plays.’’

Sullivan grew up in Southern California where she began playing soccer at the age of five.

Her parents, who are from East Bridgewater, moved the family to Massachusetts when Sullivan was entering seventh grade, and she was on the track and soccer teams at W-H.

Soccer was always her first love, and the two-time All-MASCAC player excelled at her favorite sport.

“I really didn’t care about (the awards), as long as we win,’’ said Sullivan, an exercise science major who plans on attending graduate school for physical therapy. “That’s all that mattered. I never really thought about the other stuff. I was just out there playing, giving it my all.

“I always just loved the opportunity to play. It was such a good feeling. It was a rush to play soccer.’’